Bellarmine basketball out of NCAA Tournament despite winning ASUN tourney
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BVM) – What the Bellarmine University men’s basketball team has done is practically unprecedented. The Knights were able to win the Atlantic Sun Tournament after defeating Jacksonville in the championship game 77-72, wrapping up a meteoric rise for the program that is just two years into the Division I level after dominating at the Division II level for the past decade. With its first Division I conference tournament win, things should be all cheers and happiness for Bellarmine. However, there is one thing that they will miss out on.
Highlights from the championship game 🎥 pic.twitter.com/gQ0wpu1App
— Bellarmine Men’s Basketball (@BUKnightsMBB) March 9, 2022
Typically, when a team wins its conference tournament, it earns an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, something that is hugely important in smaller conferences like the ASUN where the team’s schedules generally aren’t strong enough to make it as an at-large. However, this won’t be the case for the Knights due to an NCAA rule that allows teams moving into higher divisions a four–year transitional period to help them adjust to the higher level of play, allowing them to compete for conference championships but not national championships. Due to this, Bellarmine’s earned bid now goes to ASUN regular season champion Jacksonville State which fell in the semifinals to Jacksonville.
“On Sunday night, 31 conference champions will hear their name called on CBS and will get to have their one shining moment. We will not,” graduate guard C.J. Flemming said during a team press conference on March 10.
WE JUST WON THE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT…AND CANT GO TO THE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT‼️
— Dyl 1️⃣3️⃣ (@dhpenn30) March 9, 2022
With the ruling, the Knights will become the first men’s basketball team in 25 seasons to win its conference tournament while being ineligible for postseason play. The ruling of course has sparked a number of comments on social media and beyond about why Bellarmine shouldn’t be allowed in.
“The support of the national media and the social media over the last few days has been overwhelming in the best way possible,” senior guard Juston Betz said during the press conference. “It’s comforting to know that so many people feel the same way we do about these unfair, and to be honest, ridiculous NCAA rules and regulations. In our game, champions are decided on the court and the NCAA has decided to crown champions in an inconsistent and unfair rulebook that does not look out for the best interest of student-athletes.”
PREACH!!! #LetBellarminePlay
(📺 ESPN) pic.twitter.com/xkzDkwDqCt
— Bellarmine Men’s Basketball (@BUKnightsMBB) March 9, 2022
Of course, the biggest advocate for the Knights to get in is the team itself. Players, coaches and the team’s communications department have all been on social media calling for them to still go to the Big Dance with the hashtag #LetBellarminePlay.
🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣#LetBellarminePlay pic.twitter.com/t2JdQUv86S
— Bellarmine Men’s Basketball (@BUKnightsMBB) March 9, 2022
Whether Bellarmine gets the ruling overturned or not, its season should still be remembered and recognized by basketball fans inside and outside of the program. The Knights were able to post their first 20-win season at the Division I level, their first-ever Division I conference title and they’re still eligible to play more games this year, just not for the national championship or for the NIT championship as the players announced Thursday morning.
“We as a team…won 20 games this season despite playing the hardest non-conference schedule in the country, we won three conference tournament games against three of the top five teams in the conference played under NCAA and ASUN rules,” Betz continued. “As players we just want the chance to compete at the highest level possible and we are frustrated we won’t have that opportunity.”
With their conference championship so early in their time at the Division I level, the Knights will be a mid-major team basketball fans should keep their eye on going into the future. While there may be a wait for Bellarmine to finally make their way to the NCAA Tournament, once they are eligible, expect the Knights to be in the Big Dance sooner than later.
“We’ve been told that this rule applies to programs that are transitioning, but as far as we know, we’ve met every criteria that the NCAA and the ASUN have laid out in front of us and we just won our conference tournament,” Betz said. “So as far as we know, Bellarmine is not transitioning, we’ve arrived.”
